


Double Doms

by blackchaps



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Dom/sub, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:56:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/615303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackchaps/pseuds/blackchaps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney and John are both doms, and sometimes they have to work things out the hard way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Double Doms

Everyone knew they were a pair. To get to Sheppard, a sub had to be willing to go through McKay. No one understood it, and no one had the courage to ask how the hell two Doms had come to be bonded in the first place.

Of course, there was always some new sub, fresh off the Daedalus, who would stupidly thrust his, or her, head into the lion's den. The first wavers did a good business in bets on who the next idiot would be.

"Oh, shit, it's Bryant."

"Huh. I think Cadman won again."

"Damn it!"

McKay never looked up from the pancakes that were disappearing down his throat. Sheppard ran his hand through his hair and stared at the kneeling sub.

"Private."

"Sorry, sir, to interrupt you, sir, but..."

"Geez, Sheppard, he's like, twelve. Is the American military really that desperate for recruits now?" McKay didn't look at the sub. "Well?"

"No, and he's at least... sixteen." Sheppard cringed. "I hope."

The sub blushed very prettily. "Eighteen, sir."

"Well, go ahead, Colonel. Have fun with your boytoy. Don't break this one, because I am damn tired of Carson whining to me about how rough you play!" Rodney huffed and stabbed his fork into a sausage.

Ronon sat up a little and peered. "Got a good front kick. Too small though. Wraith snack food."

"Thank you for your assessment of his fighting abilities, which are crucial in the bedroom." Rodney glared at Ronon. "For you, at least."

"Yup." Ronon grinned and stole away Rodney's last sausage.

Sheppard pressed his lips together tightly. "I'll be right back." He snapped his fingers at the sub and started for the door.

"Yes, yes, Colonel Cradle-robber, enjoy yourself!"

Half the people in the cafeteria hid a smile. Someone counted in their head, and on four, McKay launched himself out of his chair, abandoning his last pancake to Ronon's tender mercies, and barrelled after Sheppard and the sub.

No one said a word into the silence, and then Sergeant Mehra eased over to the door and peeked.

Sheppard totally ignored the sub, kneeling at his boots, and stubbed his finger into McKay's chest. "You can't embarrass my men in the cafeteria! His self-esteem could be ruined for life!"

"Oh, please, no one has self-esteem at his age, and it's entirely his fault for throwing his young, tender ass at you!" Rodney slapped Sheppard's hand away. "You want a sub so bad, at least find someone near thirty!"

"I was going to let him down gentle!" Sheppard smacked McKay on the back of the head. "I have a nephew his age!"

"Oh." McKay crossed his arms and lifted his chin. "Hook him up with Cadman. She likes them young."

"God, McKay, you make my brain hurt." Sheppard tugged the sub to his feet and patted him on the ass. "Go play with someone your own age and don't listen to everything you hear in the locker room. My men are terrible liars."

"Yes, sir!" The sub ran for his life.

Turning back to McKay, Sheppard reached out. Palm up. On his wrist was a black, leather band, trimmed in silver. "Rodney."

McKay glowered, grumbled and then met Sheppard's wrist with his own matching wristband. "You know twinkie subs make me crazy!"

"You think too much." Sheppard licked his lips and moved halfway. Rodney met him there, and they kissed. "I'll let you pick out our next sub."

"Promise?" Rodney beamed up at him. "Someone with boobs?"

Sheppard grimaced but nodded. "If I gotta." He nudged McKay against the wall. McKay yanked him close, and they shoved at each other's clothes, fighting for dominance. Their breath came hard, curse words were heard, and twice Rodney kicked Sheppard in the shin.

Mehra fled back to her seat and met Chuck's assessing gaze. "Yep."

Chuck consulted his notes at length. "Stackhouse wins."

"Damn it!"

"Jesus toast!"

Ronon looked up from Rodney's plate. "Earthers are strange."

Teyla rubbed her forehead and laughed. "We should go shove Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay in their quarters. You know how Elizabeth hates it when they rut in public."

"I think it's the yowling that gets on her nerves."

********  
Previously – during The Brotherhood

^^^^^^^^^

"You don't know what to do?" Sheppard practically sneered.

Rodney swallowed, wanting to hit him. "Of course I do! But what do I do first?"

Sheppard nudged Ford, and they laughed, and Rodney hated them both.

"Perhaps a good night's rest will make it clear," Teyla suggested, and Rodney fled before anyone else could mock him. So he wasn't a social butterfly like Sheppard! Some things – not the important stuff like physics – were hard!

The bed was lumpy, and he tossed and turned all night long, wanting to get up and resume the search. They were close. He could smell it.

"Stop rolling around, McKay!" Sheppard snarled.

"Bite me," Rodney snapped right back.

Sheppard made a huffy noise, and Rodney intentionally rolled over again, trying to find a spot that didn't dig into his back.

"Just sneak to her room and tie her up, but seriously, stop with the noise." Sheppard sounded tired and sarcastic.

It wasn't Rodney's fault they always slept in the same room – tent – hut – whatever, and he was very tired of Sheppard's crap.  
"Not really into bondage," Rodney mumbled. "And seriously? Would you do that?"

"No!" Sheppard managed to sound indignant over his own idea. "Just. Please. Stop moving. We had a long day, and tomorrow promises more digging."

Somewhat chastened by the thought, and glad Sheppard wasn't going after Allina, Rodney shut his eyes, determined to fall asleep. He wished he'd stayed asleep by noon after hell broke loose.

Barely able to see, Rodney still cradled the ZPM like a lost child, hoping against all hope that they had used up their daily ration of bad luck.

"I'm not going to shoot you. I should, but I'm not," Sheppard said. "You... just... owe me one."

Kolya laughed. "Excellent! I'll have another chance to enjoy your sub's mouth and ass! How is the arm, Dr. McKay?"

Rodney blinked, feeling as if he'd been slapped. His vision abruptly cleared. "I am not a submissive!"

His words were drowned out by sudden and rapid gunfire. Sheppard holstered his gun. "Let's go."

Staring down at Kolya's very dead body, Rodney clutched his prize a little tighter. He had no idea what had just happened, but Sheppard's jaw twitched in a way that promised more bullets weren't out of the question.

As soon as they cleared the hole, Allina wrapped herself around Rodney. "Come! We must return! Celebrate!"

"No." Sheppard's voice made everyone flinch. "Get your hands off him."

"But..." Rodney started, abandoning his wish for food and water when the jaw tightened further. Sheppard had his gun out again, motioning for Allina and her group to head down the trail.

"Colonel, we are allies--"

"Kolya could have twenty more men here." Sheppard stepped right in front of Rodney. "And I don't trust you. Walk, or I can start shooting."

Ford handed Sheppard the radio. Teyla put her hand on Rodney's arm. "We could be walking into another trap."

Sheppard put on the ear bud and clicked it. "Jumper Three, uncloak and land near our position."

Shocked, Rodney could only stare as the jumper landed. Allina and her group took off running, but Sheppard didn't relax.

"Everyone in!" Sheppard shouted.

Rodney bolted inside, making sure to keep the ZPM safe. "You really think they--" His words were cut off by the sound of a shotgun blast.

"Go! Go!" Sheppard got tossed, and everyone held on for dear life. Rodney narrowed his eyes and upped his estimation of Sheppard's intelligence again. The whole day had been one shock after another, and time seemed to play tricks on him, stretching and contracting and certain words lodged in his brain.

"Scanned."

"Lost a jumper."

Sheppard's face was so grim that subs couldn't even look him in the eye, and for some odd reason Zelenka tugged on Rodney's arm.

"He's shocky."

"Rodney, let Zelenka have it," Sheppard said.

Rodney frowned up into green and brown eyes. "You shot him."

"I know." Sheppard gentled his hand down Rodney's arm. "I'll keep it safe. Go with Beckett, okay?"

"Aye, Rodney, come along."

The feeling that he should be ranting and raving was an uncomfortable one, and Rodney managed a deep breath. "A jumper?"

"Yeah." Sheppard lowered his head, grief in his eyes now. "Go with Becket, please?"

Looking down at the ZPM, Rodney shrugged. "I'm fine," he said, but the edges of his vision were going grey.

"Catch him!"

"Kolya was at him again. Help him."

"Aye."

And Rodney faded out.

^^^^^^^^^^

There were a lot of words that needed said, and the easiest way to do it was yell them at Sheppard and then storm off. It was a plan, and now all Rodney had to do was track him down.

Finding him in the jumper bay really wasn't a surprise. The sad look on his face was, but he wiped it away fast enough.

"For the record, I am not a submissive!" Rodney made sure to point. "And Kolya never touched me like that!"

Sheppard bit his lower lip and looked away.

"And..." Rodney ran out of steam, plunking down on the ramp because his legs were still tired from all the digging. "Just. You know. Fill in the rest."

"Will do." Sheppard blew out a breath of air and ran his hand through his hair. "He hurt you," he said softly.

Denying it would be stupid, but Rodney hesitated on what to say. They were Doms, and Doms didn't talk about mushy stuff, and Doms could be friends, but not good friends, unless they were on the same team sport, and...

"You shot him for me," Rodney said, certain of that.

"Yeah," Sheppard growled. He still looked angry about the whole thing. "We got the ZPM."

Rodney couldn't stop his grin. "We did. Good job on the whole jumper in the sky business." He hadn't suspected Allina of wanting to double-cross them.

Sheppard nodded and got to his feet. "We okay?" He reached out his hand.

For a long second, Rodney looked at Sheppard's hand, and then he grabbed hold. They ended up face-to-face, and Rodney felt like he should say one more time, "I'm a Dom. Really."

Sheppard licked his lower lip, eyes dark. "Doms don't bond. It's against the rules."

Rodney heard the want in Sheppard's voice, and it made him shiver. "You like breaking rules."

They each shuffled a half-step, winding around and into spaces they'd never been.

"We'll still get subs, right?" Rodney asked, right against Sheppard's lips.

"As long as they know you're mine." Sheppard kissed him. "And I'm yours."

It was strange, but Rodney thought that was the best idea he'd ever heard. He jerked Sheppard even closer. "No collars."

"No damn way." Sheppard nuzzled Rodney's jaw. "No kneeling, no begging, and no bondage."

"Deal." Rodney ran his hand up into Sheppard's hair and tugged hard enough to make him feel it. "And no more picking on me."

Sheppard actually looked embarrassed. "You're a Dom."

That made perfect sense.

********

After that last part with Kolya but before the first thing in the cafeteria

^^^^^^^^

"Elizabeth, it's just not done, and he already has a black mark." O'Neill looked away, shrugging. "You should back another horse."

"Command of Atlantis military is not a horse race." She glowered and crossed her arms. "But the President is in my box. Who's buying oats for your horse?"

O'Neill sighed loudly. "We'll see if you get your way this time."

"Yes, we will." She wasn't all that worried. "And I don't see your problem with Sheppard and McKay. They're friends, nothing more."

He looked down at his boots. "I'm going to find my submissive. We'll talk later."

"Give Daniel my regards, and Sam too."

^^^^^^^^^^

"Rodney, I'm sorry, but you need to pull your head out of the sand." Sheppard had to take a deep breath. "I'm just a major, and one with a spotty record. Atlantis deserves a colonel, or higher."

Rodney crossed his arms, raised his chin, and clipped his words out at a rapid pace. "Atlantis isn't going to be happy with anyone but you."

"People here think that's crazy talk." Sheppard gave a lazy shrug. "In three months, I'm up for renewal. I'm retiring this time. I have my twenty in. When you visit, we can get together."

"Now that's crazy talk. You'll find some slinky sub, and there's no way on Earth you'd want to be seen with another Dom." Rodney's shoulders slumped. "And I'm no help at all. The people here at the SGC have a tendency to ignore my advice."

Sheppard bit his lower lip, not sure what to say in the face of all that skepticism. "We're bonded, Rodney. Even if I got a sub, you'd still have the last say."

"Bonded?" Rodney's skepticism was easy to hear, and it pushed Sheppard to make his decision early. Going to his duffle bag, he unzipped the side pocket and took a very deep breath before pulling out two leather wristbands. A friend of Teyla's had made them to Sheppard's exact specifications.

Wordlessly, he held them out and waited for Rodney to say something.

"John."

"I know." John did know. Two scraps of leather that could ruin his career, destroy any chance of retaining the command of Atlantis. Doms didn't bond. It just wasn't done, and wearing wristbands would take away plausible deniability.

"You had to go with black leather?" Rodney's hand came up, and he traced a finger along them. "The gold stitching is mine."

"Of course." John preferred the silver one. "If... you wear it, I won't ever take it off."

Rodey swallowed hard, hands twitching. "Doms don't do this!"

Shepard shut his hand around them and nodded tersely. "I get that." He stepped to shove them back in the duffle, but Rodney caught him by the shoulder. One shuffle step at a time, they came together, and neither showed signs of letting go.

^^^^^^^^ 

The ceremony wasn't much, and O'Neill got the honors of replacing Sheppard's oak leaves with new ones. Weir looked smug, satisfied with herself.  
O'Neill didn't touch Sheppard one more second than was necessary, as was proper, but he didn't sneer. "Congratulations, Colonel Sheppard."

"Thank you, sir." Sheppard kept his eyes straight forward. He couldn't find any other words. This whole thing was very surreal, and he was pretty sure he'd wake up in a few seconds alone and tired in his bed.

Ducking his head, O'Neill lowered his voice to a bare whisper. "McKay? Really?"

Sheppard made sure not to blush. "You know that feeling in your gut when you pull your fighter into a steep climb?"

"Oh." O'Neill blinked and then laughed very softly. "I can see that."

"Yeah." Sheppard cautiously let his opinion known. "We belong on Atlantis."

Laughing loudly now, O'Neill stepped back. "I can't argue with that. Dismissed!"

They exchanged a salute, and Sheppard refused to tug his cuff down over his black and silver wristband. Some rules were made to be broken.

********

After that first bit, where Rodney was promised boobs

^^^^^^^

It was the bickering that drove him mad. For once, he'd like them to lie there and heal like normal patients, without all the yapping back and forth about who was to blame and prime numbers and such.

Hospitals were supposed to be quiet.

Not his, not if Sheppard and McKay were injured, and that happened too damn frequently.

The clatter of metal made him push away from his desk, and he stormed towards them, prepared to give them a piece of his mind.

"You're right. We haven't asked Carson to play in months," Sheppard said, tugging at his lower lip with his teeth in that way of his.

Carson opened his mouth to tell them off, but Rodney smiled. "Yes, yes, his mouth is amazing, but I was promised breasts, and Carson has none."

"Great ass though." Sheppard definitely checked Carson out, and Carson found himself hard pressed not to blush.

"Gentlemen! Please!" Carson's carefully planned tirade flew out the window. "Both of you are too tired for anything!"

"Heh, that's what you think," Rodney said, fumbling under his sheet.

Sheppard grinned up at Carson. "How about it?"

Knowing he would, but not today, Carson glared at them both. "No! Rodney, yer ass needs some time to heal!"

"No man likes to hear those words," Sheppard mumbled.

"And you, ya great bloody fool, you shouldn't have tried to jump that--"

"Shut up!" Ronon roared.

McKay and Sheppard cowered, and Carson nearly laughed. He held his composure, going to check Ronon's numerous bandages and stitches and giving the big lummox an unwanted pat on the arm as thanks.

^^^^^^^^

The word that Sheppard and McKay were looking for a sub spread through Atlantis like wildfire, and there were even a few Doms who were disappointed, not that they'd let on about it.

The boob requirement went over like a lead balloon with the male population. Several stated that man boobs from muscle should pass, but the general consensus was that McKay wasn't going to accept substitutes, and the women subs gloated.

Damn aggravating, and Doms shouldn't bond in the first place. It wasn't fair to subs.

Zelenka pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his laptop. "Everyone out! Go moon over Sheppard somewhere else!"

Silence fell over the lab, and then there was a mad scramble for the door. Zelenka put his head down on his arms.

^^^^^^^^^

"Katie Brown."

"No way. I'd break her. Heightmeyer?"

Rodney screwed up his face.

"I'll take that as a no." Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "So...?"

"This is hard!" Rodney glanced quickly around the cafeteria, feeling like a hunted animal. "Everyone is staring!"

"Stop yelling," Sheppard hissed. "If you hadn't been... all... you, we wouldn't be in this situation. They expect us to pick someone!"

"Now who's yelling." Rodney slurped some coffee. "You're just mad that I want boobs."

Sheppard slowly put his hands over his eyes and rubbed. He looked tired, worn out even. Rodney put his coffee down, hesitated, and then reached for Sheppard's arm. Their wristbands bumped, and Rodney whispered, "You and me?"

"Yeah." Sheppard tugged, and hands wrapped, they left the cafeteria and headed for their quarters.

Rodney's coffee got cold, and someone, probably a woman, whispered, "Shit."

^^^^^^^^^

When Sheppard's team stepped through the wormhole, Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. Everyone on base needed a break from the drama, especially her.

Two Doms had no business bonding, and she still felt like a fool for not listening to General O'Neill, but honestly, it just wasn't done. Oh sure, occasionally, if intoxicated, Doms might fool around, but bonding? Never. Ever.

And now she had a suspicion she knew why. Leaders had outlawed it because of the constant sub problems. Two Doms were off the market here on Atlantis, and the subs were seething about it, jockeying for position, and furious when their efforts came to naught.

She wished, in retrospect, that she'd have caught a clue earlier. She might've been able to stop it.

"Dr. Weir?"

She turned, hoping for the best. "Yes, Major Lorne?"

Lorne ducked his head and smiled shyly. Before he even said one word, Elizabeth returned his smile and some of the tension eased out of her spine. She was taking the next few hours off. She put up a hand to forestall whatever he was going to say and moved to the base intercom.

"This is Dr. Weir. Please switch to the green schedule. Schedule green, people."

Grinning widely, Lorne brushed the tip of his finger against her hand. "Thank you, ma'am."

She wrapped her hand around his wrist. "My pleasure."

^^^^^^^^

The Talarians were not in the mood for visitors, and that was a damn shame, Sheppard thought as he slammed his hand down on the DHD. Perhaps it was that errant thought that guided his hand because when he tumbled through the gate, he landed on the cold, hard ground of the Alpha site.

Rodney gave him a very dirty look. "Did you forget our gate address, Colonel Mensa?"

Teyla brushed off her jacket. "Perhaps the colonel felt we were being watched."

Ronon, for his part, holstered his gun and crossed his arms. Sheppard made a note to skip their workout until Ronon had eaten at least twice. Food always cheered him up.

"Okay, so I screwed up!" Sheppard marched away from the gate, towards their hidden base, not sure what he was doing, but doing it anyway. "We're here! We might as well check on things!"

Fairly sure his entire team just rolled their eyes, Sheppard refused to look back. They didn't waste personnel on an Alpha site, not since the last time Wraith attacked Atlantis, but Sheppard was willing to stock a nearby cave with a few items.

"Sheppard!" Rodney yelled from behind him. Sheppard tuned out the ranting and raving that followed, keeping a fast pace that forced Rodney to move. The cave wasn't overly large, but it had a back exit and good cover over the front. Sheppard ducked inside, knowing that Ronon would guard the door.

"Perhaps we should inform Dr. Weir," Teyla said.

"Did you see her face when we left?" Sheppard surveyed the supplies critically, getting down on his knees to rearrange some packs that had fallen over. "She's probably throwing a party."

"Huh," Rodney said, standing very close to Sheppard's shoulder. "She gets tired of us?"

Ronon laughed from outside the cave, making John smile. Teyla moved towards the back of the cave, most likely to hide her grin.

"Things have been a bit tense over your damn boobs," John said, making sure to drawl out the last word.

Squatting down, Rodney popped open a container and rummaged, emerging triumphant with an MRE. He plunked down crosslegged, humming happily. Always alert to Rodney's food hum, Ronon strode inside, snatched his own bag and beat it back out of the cave.

"Those are for emergencies," Sheppard said.

"This is one." Rodney pointed a spoon at him. "We can't go home because--"

"You won't shut up about boobs!" Sheppard interrupted, making Rodney wince around the eyes. "I would volunteer to grow boobs if you'd just stop!"

"Wow." After opening the MRE, Rodney stared up at him. "Who knew boobs could make you crazy? I mean, seriously, you're nuts."

Lowering his head, Sheppard blew out a breath of frustration. He wavered between storming out of the cave or throwing a sleeping bag at Rodney's head. Neither choice was very mature, and that was the appeal.

"Why have you not asked me for help in this situation. I have breasts." Teyla kept her P-90 trained on the back of the cave. "I refuse to say the other word."

Sheppard hoped his mouth wasn't hanging as far open as Rodney's. "You... have breasts."

She shot him a withering glare. "Which neither of you will be touching, but we are team. I am more than happy to pretend, if it will lessen the tension on Atlantis."

Rodney grimaced. "Damn."

"Err," Sheppard said, then forced his mouth to work. "But... Rodney really wants a sub, and you're... Teyla."

"Yes, I am." Teyla shrugged, saying more with that gesture than Rodney did in ten minutes of lecturing.

"It'll get all the weepy subs off our back." Rodney eyed Teyla's breasts in a way that would get him smacked later.

"But will it get you off my back?" Sheppard grumbled. He'd had enough of the drama, the looks from subs he didn't want, and the constant diatribe of Rodney checking out boobs.

Rodney's answer was to eat faster. Sheppard stomped out to talk to Ronon, at least he'd grunt while his mouth was full.

"You think we got enough supplies here?" Sheppard asked.

Ronon wiped his mouth on his arm. "Probably, unless McKay eats it all."

Sheppard kicked a rock and wondered how long they should wait before going back to Atlantis. "You know they're having a party without us."

"Yup." Ronon shrugged. "You touch Teyla--"

"And you'll kill me," Sheppard finished for him. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm not an idiot."

"You are. Go to the Daedalus. Fuck a sub. Come back happy. Stop talking about it." Ronon shrugged again, stuffing his trash in a pocket. "Can we go now?"

Blinking rapidly, Sheppard went back inside to grab Rodney by the collar of his coat. "We're going. Come on. Ronon has a plan."

"Shoot each other?" Rodney snapped, fighting the pull to let Sheppard know that following orders wasn't his strong suit, and Sheppard couldn't let go of Rodney's collar until he was sure he'd established that he was in command of his team.

"Why is it always my shins?" Sheppard shouted, giving Rodney a shake.

"Because you're a bully!" Rodney yelled right back at him, getting up close to Sheppard's face. It was impossible not to kiss him. Rodney grunted and returned the kiss with interest, and they slowly turned the other loose.

"I don't want Ronon to stun us." Sheppard shot him a glare. "Again."

"I hate that too." Rodney settled his Tac-vest. "Seriously, what is the plan?"

"The Daedalus." Sheppard kept his hands off him, not wanting to start something they couldn't finish. "We could find someone there."

Rodney shook his head, but clamped his lips tightly around a comment that might've earned him a head slap. Sheppard narrowed his eyes, waiting, but Teyla and Ronon got them all moving again towards the DHD.

Right before Sheppard pressed in the first symbol, Rodney caught him by the hand.

"Okay, so, I'm not sorry, but..." Rodney waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I really don't care about..."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, not wanting to assume the last word. "Boobs?"

"No, I care about boobs." Rodney glowered. "I don't care about other people."

Ronon grunted.

"Of course I care about them! But you know, unknown subs with large..." Rodney made the big boob gesture with his hands and then rolled his eyes. "Stop with the eyebrows!"

Laughing, Sheppard caught him a rough hug. "Thanks. Let's just relax. We both still like subs." He hated fighting about stupid stuff. "I'm not sorry too."

The tension went out of Rodney's shoulders.

"Perhaps we should gate to New Athos." Teyla touched the first symbol. "It should be supper time there."

Ronon slapped his hand down on the symbols and then pressed the center. "Move out."

"You heard the man," Rodney said, grabbing Sheppard's hand and taking him through the gate.

The Athosians were glad to see them, and it wasn't long before Rodney and Ronon were groaning over a table full of food. Sheppard sat next to Halling, away from the carnage his teammates would wreck. Halling was happy to tell Sheppard everything that was going on, down to the tiniest detail.

Suddenly, Sheppard sat up and took notice. He was not a possessive man, by any means, but he protected what belonged to him. "Teyla, who is that sitting next to Rodney?"

She glanced and then spoke softly. "That is Kanaan. He is my cousin by my mother."

Watching him, Sheppard saw Rodney begin to get nervous. "And does he know what he's doing?"

Teyla hesitated and then nodded. "He... prefers men, and he has never been... aggressive."

"Oh, I think he's aggressively making his wishes clear." Sheppard caught the look Rodney shot at him. Casually, Sheppard eased up and taking his plate, moved to sit so Kanaan was between him and Rodney. "Hey, Rodney."

Kanaan gave him an almost pouty look. "Dr. McKay and I were just leaving."

"Rodney?" Sheppard asked. They always shared, always, but if Rodney wanted some alone time, then Sheppard would deal with it.

"I was getting ready to explain." Rodney's hands stayed on his plate, not reaching for Kanaan's wrist. "It's not that I'm not interested, but we've never done it here, and Teyla might kill us."

"Teyla is--"

Sheppard clapped his hand over Kanaan's mouth. "One word against Teyla, and I'll hurt you." He saw the fear in Kanaan's eyes and let go of him. "You want Rodney? You ask. Nicely."

Rodney could've argued at this point, but he didn't.

Taking a deep breath, Kanaan ducked his head and looked up at Rodney through his lashes. "Dr. McKay, would you honor me?"

It was said respectfully enough that Sheppard didn't slug him, and Rodney met Sheppard's gaze. "John?"

It was a question that Sheppard had heard about as many times as he'd asked it. He took a second to give Kanaan a good once-over. "Keep your clothes mostly on." It was only prudent since they were off-world.

Kanaan grinned as Rodney took him by the wrist. "My tent."

Following after them, Sheppard had no trouble spotting Teyla's expression. She wasn't happy, not at all, and he slowed down, letting Rodney drag Kanaan into a tent by himself.

Teyla turned to him and made a gesture. He shrugged, understanding that she wanted him to go ahead. He still took an extra second to check Ronon's position before ducking inside the tent.

Rodney hadn't wasted any time putting Kanaan on his knees. Kanaan had a mouthful of cock, but Rodney's hands went to Sheppard's shoulders. "Okay?"

"Teyla's mad," Sheppard whispered, kissing Rodney hard and fisting his hand into Kanaan's hair. "Dunno why."

They groaned together, and Rodney thrust his hips faster. "Your cock too."

Fumbling a little, wondering if Kanaan would refuse, Sheppard unzipped and freed his cock. Kanaan, it turned out, was a complete cock whore, and more the merrier was probably his motto from all the groaning. Of course, that was exactly the way Rodney preferred his subs, and Sheppard never argued about it.

Rodney wrapped his hand around Kanaan's neck and directed his movements, making Sheppard groan. A few more strokes, and Sheppard was going to come, so he slowly pulled back and away, giving Rodney a nod. Rodney took complete control of Kanaan's mouth and body, driving him down to the rug-covered floor and face fucking him.

Sheppard stood slightly away, loving the sight of Rodney so dominant. Kanaan pressed his heels and arched up, and Sheppard stroked his hand across the back of Rodney's neck.

"Yeah," Rodney whispered, grunting, and Sheppard watched him come. Kanaan emerged from underneath Rodney, face flushed and panting, and Sheppard helped Rodney to his feet.

Kanaan's eyes were blown wide, and he reached for Sheppard's cock, but Rodney pushed him away with a boot.

"Come on him," Rodney said, stroking Sheppard's almost roughly, fast and hard, the way Sheppard liked it. With a drawn-out shudder, Sheppard yanked Rodney close enough to bite on the shoulder and shot come. Rodney directed it on Kanaan's body with a grin. "Nice."

"I need... to..." Kanaan broke off when Rodney rounded on him. Sheppard took a rough kiss from Rodney first. Rodney rolled his eyes, shrugged, and fixed his clothes. Five seconds later, he was out of the tent and no doubt headed back for more food.

Kanaan glared from his position on the floor, and Sheppard stepped close to loom over him.

"Complaints?"

Glancing away, Kanaan shook his head and wiped his mouth. "No."

"Good. If you didn't take your pleasure when he was using you, well, you're an idiot. Not his job to babysit you through it." Sheppard made sure his clothes were back together and his gun settled into position. "And just in case you're confused, he's mine."

"I got that." Kanaan stuffed his hand in his pants, and Sheppard had seen enough. He went out of the tent, caught Teyla's look, and wandered over to sit down near Rodney.

"You should eat, Sheppard," Rodney said, shoving over some bread.

"Thanks." Sheppard took a roll. "Did Teyla talk to you?"

"Ronon." Rodney pointed with his fork-like thing at their teammate. "Teyla and Kanaan are betrothed. Have been since they were kids. She doesn't like him."

A jolt of guilt, mixed with a heavy dose of fear for Teyla's sticks, washed through Sheppard. He kept his roll but got moving to where Halling sat. Teyla was long gone, and Sheppard hoped she was in that tent, kicking Kanaan's ass.

"You allow him to shame her?" Sheppard could barely believe it.

"Their parents arranged it. It is final." Halling frowned and refused to meet Sheppard's eyes. "Teyla will marry him."

Sheppard dropped his hand on his gun. There was a simply way to fix all this drama, but Halling let out a loud negative.

"We have so few, and he can sense the Wraith." Halling looked impossibly sad. "Teyla will do her duty to her people."

"Damn it," Sheppard growled, understanding better why Teyla spent less and less time with her people. Rodney's hand laced through Sheppard's, and Sheppard exchanged a long look with him. Rodney nodded.

"Dr. McKay, Colonel Sheppard, please..." Halling raised his hands and then shook his head. "It is Teyla."

Releasing Rodney's hand, Sheppard tried to look casual as he went back to the table. He only looked once, seeing Rodney duck inside Kanaan's tent. Halling's eyes were blown wide, and Sheppard shrugged.

Trust was something that Sheppard and Rodney had shared from the beginning.

"Sheppard?" Ronon asked.

"Just keep an eye on that tent." Sheppard stabbed a piece of meat, feeling almost sorry for Kanaan. Almost.

^^^^^^^^

Atlantis was quiet, only a graveyard shift on duty when Sheppard stepped through the stargate, a half-step behind Rodney. Even Weir's office was dark, but the Marines were alert.

"Colonel."

"Sergeant." Sheppard didn't stop Rodney from hurrying away. They'd get together much later, right before dawn when Rodney would need to yell with real anger at someone. "Make a note in the log that Ronon and Teyla remained on New Athos. Don't want anyone surprised if they dial in later."

"Yes, sir."

The hallways were deserted, and Sheppard followed his long patrol route – the one he took when he needed to avoid people. He didn't waste time thinking about much of anything, preferring to enjoy the views and listen to the ocean. The long, lonely nights in Afghanistan, he'd learned how to do nothing but wait.

Right before the sun peeked up over the horizon, he went to Rodney's quarters and palmed open the door.

Hair still damp from the shower, eyes sharp and mean, Rodney scooped up one of his boots and threw it at Sheppard. Instinct made Sheppard duck, so it clomped him in the head.

"Ow!" Sheppard managed to dodge the next boot. "Stop that!" He hoped Rodney's tennis shoes were in the closet.

Rodney moved fast, growled something incoherent, and grabbed a handful of Sheppard's hair. Sheppard let him, knowing this would pass quickly.

"Easy!" But Sheppard allowed Rodney to manhandle him. "Easy, Rodney." He figured his shins were getting it next. "I can take it."

"Damn right you can." Rodney bit Sheppard on the shoulder and then collapsed onto him. "He cried, damn it. He cried!"

Sheppard lowered his face now, holding Rodney close. "I'm sorry."

"You should be. You know how I hate that." Rodney nuzzled Sheppard's neck, nibbling. "And all because you're too tenderhearted!"

"I'd have killed him, little fucker, messing with our Teyla," Sheppard stated the obvious, which Rodney knew. "She deserves better."

"She'll get it now." Rodney shoved Sheppard away and went to sit on his bed. Their eyes met, and Rodney looked out the nearest window. "He had the power to release her from the vow, but he refused because he liked the prestige. He liked the drama."

"And he liked torturing her." Sheppard still might kick Kanaan in the nuts, next time they happened to be on New Athos. "I'm proud of you."

Rodney glanced up and then shrugged in easy acceptance. "You know what I hate the most?"

"You feel guilty for coming in his mouth?"

"No!"

Sheppard raised one eyebrow.

"Okay, yes, but that was your fault. I hate that Teyla didn't come to us earlier." Rodney rubbed his face with his hands. "I thought she trusted us."

Sheppard sat down next to Rodney with a small thump. "Not my fault, and yeah, I did too."

"Tribal people think differently." Rodney leaned his head on Sheppard's shoulder. "I read that somewhere."

"I'm sure you did." Sheppard kissed him. "I have a feeling she was scared we'd kill him."

"I should've," Rodney grumbled. "He cried!"

"You poor bastard." Sheppard wrapped his arm around him. "He'll get over it."

"We could've avoided all this, if you hadn't insisted we get a sub." Rodney raised up enough to glare. "You!"

Narrowing his eyes, Sheppard glared hot death. "Me? This one's on you! You and the boobs! Boobs! Like we're twelve!" He was mad enough to lean into it a little. "You."

After a second, Rodney crumpled. "Fine. I suck. You have my permission to stop liking me."

"Right." Sheppard didn't believe that for one second. He took a kiss and savored it, reassuring Rodney that way. "You did the right thing. For Teyla. Thank you for that."

"I'm never griping about boobs again," Rodney mumbled, flopping back on the bed.

Sheppard grinned, knowing that wouldn't last, at least the griping part. "This means I get top."

Sitting up with a jerk, Rodney folded his arms. "But!" He didn't get out another word because Sheppard pounced on him, bore him back down, and took command without asking.

Of course Rodney fought, argued, complained, and even bitched a little, but Sheppard wasn't going to let those things stand in his way. After the clothes were gone, and after Sheppard slicked him, Rodney made sure Sheppard understood that this wasn't about submission by kicking him soundly in the shin.

"I sorta hate you," Sheppard said.

Rodney grunted. "Are you going to fuck me or complain about the bruises?"

"Both."

********

End

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Artwork for Double Doms by blackchaps](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4365125) by [danceswithgary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary)




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